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Chocolate Poisoning
by Di Rees BVetMed MRCVS

Chocolate poisoning is quite frequently encountered in veterinary practice, and here at Watkins and Tasker we have recently had to treat several dogs who have eaten a dangerous amount of chocolate. Fortunately they have all gone on to make a full recovery; but, sadly, in some cases, chocolate poisoning can be fatal.

Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine. This chemical is similar to caffeine, and many animals are very sensitive to its effects. Theobromine acts as a stimulant, and can cause excitability, tremors, twitching, rapid heart rate, and convulsions. Animals that recover from chocolate poisoning can in some cases be left with permanent kidney damage.

Unfortunately no specific antidote is available, so treatment is supportive. If the patient has recently eaten chocolate, vomiting is induced.  The patient is put on an intra-venous drip, and activated charcoal is administered by mouth. This binds to theobromine in the gut and reduces the amount that is absorbed into the bloodstream. Valium (diazepam) is given to animals that are showing signs of hyperexcitability. The patient’s heart rate and body temperature are monitored closely until the patient is  out of the immediate danger period.

The most dangerous type of chocolate for dogs is dark chocolate, followed by milk chocolate, followed by white chocolate. As a rough guide, a 10kg dog needs to eat only 12.5g dark chocolate before showing signs of poisoning whereas he could eat 90g of milk chocolate before becoming ill. White chocolate contains such a tiny amount of theobromine that he would have to eat 22kg before he showed signs of theobromine poisoning! Another source of theobromine is cocoa mulch, so please do not use this in your garden if you have a dog.

If you suspect that your dog may have eaten chocolate, please ring us for advice, any time of day or night.